TCU takes advantage of LSU starter's struggles in 10-3 win

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Preston Morrison limited LSU to five hits and a run in seven innings, and TCU capitalized on LSU starter Jared Poche's middle-inning struggles in a 10-3 victory at the College World Series on Sunday.

The Horned Frogs (50-13), in the CWS for the second straight year and third time overall, will play a Bracket 2 winners game against Cal State Fullerton or Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. The Tigers (53-11) meet one of those teams in an elimination game that afternoon.

Morrison (12-2) earned his first win in nine career starts in the NCAA tournament. The Chicago Cubs' eighth-round draft pick struck out five, walked none and retired the last 12 batters he faced.

LSU, in the CWS for the 17th time, showed up as the No. 2 national seed and 5-0 in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers cruised along nicely for three innings, with Poche' (9-2) striking out the side in the first and retiring the next six batters. He was brilliant, just as he had been in allowing one run over his 16 1/3 previous innings in the NCAA tournament.

But then he self-destructed. Cody Jones hit a chopper back to Poche leading off the fourth inning and wound up on third when Poche' overthrew first baseman Chris Chinea on the routine play. Then Jeremie Fagnan sent a comebacker to Poche', who looked back Jones at third before pulling Chinea off the bag with another high throw, putting runners at the corners. Connor Wanhanen and Dane Steinhagen followed with RBI singles.

In the fifth, TCU loaded the bases against Poche' on two walks and a single. Conner Hale booted a grounder at third, allowing one run to score, and Poche' plunked Fagnan, bringing home another. Connor Wanhanen's single drove in two more to put the Frogs up 6-1 run and end Poche's day.

The Frogs didn't need to show their flair for the dramatic, as they had done earlier in the national tournament. Three of their last four games went extra innings, including a 16-inning win over Texas A&M that sent the Frogs to Omaha.

TCU extended its lead to 10-1 in the seventh, batting around against three relievers and scoring four runs, all coming with two outs.

Morrison threw strikes on 63 of his 89 pitches, but coach Jim Schlossnagle took him out to start the eighth. Brian Howard came on and gave up Jared Foster's drive into the left-field bullpen. It was the third home run in three CWS games, matching last year's 16-game total.